The Gildersleeve Endowed Professorship; A distinguished professorship for Classics professors commemorating Basil L. Gildersleeve
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Gildersleeve, Basil Lanneau
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The Gildersleeve Endowed Professorship; A distinguished professorship for Classics professors commemorating Basil L. Gildersleeve
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The Gildersleeve Endowed Professorship, established in 1991, is a prestigious position within the University of Virginia’s Classics Department, recognizing Basil L. Gildersleeve’s contributions to the field of classics and supporting distinguished scholars and professors in the field. Gildersleeve was a pioneering figure in American classical studies, making significant contributions to Greek and Latin scholarship. He was appointed as the chair of the Greek department at UVA before the age of 25 and later became a founding faculty member at Johns Hopkins University. The Gildersleeve Endowed Professorship is currently held by Anthony Corbeill.
While Gildersleeve was a celebrated professor and scholar, he was also an unapologetic Confederate and outspoken advocate for slavery and white supremacy. In 1863-1864, he wrote over sixty editorials for Richmond newspapers, all defending the Confederacy and slavery. In “Miscegenation,” he warned against racial mixing, claiming the white race in North America was the purest and should stay that way. In “Sambo and the Ass,” he mocked Black Americans and dismissed their push for rights.
After the Civil War, Gildersleeve promoted the Lost Cause. His book The Creed of the Old South (1915) romanticized the pre-Civil War South and defended the Confederacy as a noble cause. Naming a building and an academic professorship after Gildersleeve perpetuates UVA’s historical connection to white supremacy and slavery. The legacy of figures like Gildersleeve serves as a reminder of how the university once honored those who upheld the values of the Confederacy, and how this legacy continues to influence its identity today.
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Gildersleeve, Basil L.
University of Virginia
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1990
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University of Virginia
Position: 1475 (51 views)